In 2015 Cento caught LA’s food enthusiasts’ attention when it opened inside a downtown wine bar. Owner Avner Lavi operated as a one-person operation, dazzling diners as he prepared unique pasta offerings.
There Lavi operated as a weekday daytime pop-up. Lavi (formerly from Bestia and Sotto) perfected his pasta-making skills at Bestia. Thru social media, I drooled at the food porn, but traveling to downtown at noon wasn’t in the cards. Lavi later left the safe cocoon and opened a brick-and-mortar in West Adams.
The new dining experience is two different worlds. The outdoor space is quiet and ideal for conversation. On the other hand, the interior is hip, with music blaring. If you are into watching the kitchen and don’t mind the loud music, I recommend sitting inside at the counter.
The Hamachi Crudo ($26) was delicate and enhanced with Southeast Asian flavors such as lemon grass and coconut milk and sweetened with diced fresh peaches. The flavors were exceptionally well balanced.
I thought the most creative dish that evening was the Sprouted Cauliflower ($16). This type of cauliflower is similar to broccoli in appearance and taste. Green Italian olives, Marcona almonds, and golden raisins enhance the cauliflower with salty and sweet sensations.
The wine list is pricy, dominating with Italian and French varietals, starting at $60 for a French Rose. Modelo is the sole beer available. I selected the Podere Erica “Raven” Sangiovese as our wine for the evening. The Tuscan red wine paired nicely with our food.
Spicy Pomorodo ($26) is a popular Southern Italian dish. Fresh rigatoni is perfectly cooked al dente combined with a tomato cream sauce, truffle oil, fresh ricotta, and basil oil—a combination of flavors you might not experience elsewhere.
One of his signature dishes is the Sea Urchin Spaghetti ($37). A Persian saffron cream sauce nicely flavors the pasta, but it gets even better with a massive dollop of burrata and a creamy Santa Barbara sea urchin. After eating it, all I could say was, “wow.”
When I made reservations, I could only get seats at the counter. My wife and I both enjoyed observing the chefs preparing pasta, as well as Lavi and one of his chefs preparing food such as Grilled Orata stuffed with herbs and a rack of lamb on a wood-fired grill. Lavi enjoys engaging with the customers while he works the kitchen.
Unless you want to park many blocks away, street parking is almost next to impossible. Fortunately, Cento does offer valet parking.
Cento, 4921 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles 90018; centopasta.com